The police are seeking to apply the serious civil disaster charge under the Serious Disaster Punishment Act for the first time as they investigate the collapse of a sidewalk on a bridge in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province on Wednesday that killed one person and injured another.

The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency said on Thursday that it is considering the option after determining that the case meets the criteria with at least one death or ten injuries requiring two or more months of treatment.

It also involves a public facility, in this case a bridge with a length of 100 meters or longer.

The law applies to heads of businesses or entities that oversee management and hold responsibility, including heads of municipal governments.

In order for the police to apply the charge, they must prove that the incident occurred due to mismanagement by the local government, which in the latest case would be the Bundang District Office.

Should the serious civil disaster charge be applied, it would be the first time since the Act took effect in January, 2022.